Look at Us Mend (This Doesn't Need to Be the End)
by quisinart4
Summary: When an undercover mission goes wrong, Steve and Kono fight the distance to become closer than ever. AU established Steve/Kono TW: sexual assault
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Look at Us Mend (This Doesn't Need to Be the End)

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Story title from the Rob Thomas song "Cradlesong".

 **Author's Note:** Hello, if you're reading. :) It's been ages since I posted for this couple, so if you're reading this because you still can't help but ship them, thanks for clicking. I don't watch the show anymore, so disappointed how CBS handled contract negotiations (so much for ~ohana), but alas... I was re-reading my fic of these two and couldn't help but miss them all over again.

I wrote this story YEARS ago, back when I was still watching the show and writing for this couple. So, yes, the date on the document says it's from 2013 so you'll have to ignore any song/movie/show references that seem outdated now. Thankfully the story was finished so all I had to do was fix some typos. It fits in my AU universe where Steve and Kono become a couple somewhere around s4/s5. You can say it follows my story _I Won't Call You My Weakness, But I Will Call You Mine_ because in this story they are living together.

I'm very proud of this piece and re-read whenever I miss them. I got a few messages from people over the years (thank YOU if you're one of those people who reads fic even years later but leaves a comment, we writers LIVE for people like you!) asking if I had any other stories. I thought I'd post for those who still can't help but think of McKono every now and again, as painful as it is. At least in my universe, they're happy. That's what fic is for, right? :)

** Trigger warning for sexual assault. Glosses over it, but please avoid if you need to.

* * *

"Steve, don't you dare answer that phone."

"I'm not, I'm not," he reassures her, even as his phone rings again and he grumbles in annoyance at the noise. He kisses down her neck as he slides down the straps of her tank top, lips returning to hers right after as if he can't stay away for too long.

The phone rings a short melody to signal a new voicemail and Steve groans again at the interruption, lifting his head to glare at the object on the bedside table. Kono takes the opportunity to flip him over quickly, straddling him with ease as she watches his eyes widen slightly at the move. She loves getting the upper hand on him, watching the internal debate in his eyes before he finally decides to let her lead.

"I mean it," Kono warns as she leans down to kiss him, sighing with approval as his hands caress down her back, dragging her further up his body so she's nearly draped across his chest. "It's just Danny asking for details on the new case. We have no details yet."

"What is that?" Steve pauses to ask, his eyebrows joining in confusion at the pop melody filling the room when the phone rings again. It's Danny calling back, no doubt.

"Oh, you like that?" Kono grins proudly as the chorus from Carly Rae's "Call Me Maybe" fills the room. "It was a summer sensation a few years ago. Still just as catchy."

"No." He glares at her for managing to get her hands on his phone yet again and changing his ringtone assigned to Danny, and always to something annoying and inappropriate. "When did you-"

"Stop talking," she orders against his lips, feeling the rumble of his bare chest against hers when he chuckles at the order, the vibration seeping into her skin and warming her insides.

"Right. Sorry." Steve mutters a curse as she trails her hand down his chest, teasing the taut skin of his stomach with her dancing fingertips but refusing to move lower. "Kono," he warns, nearly growling but she ignores his warning. He takes a total of three seconds to enjoy the sensation, and two more seconds to hope her hands will dip lower. But she's having too much fun teasing him, so he flips her onto her back, only grinning when she breaks the kiss and punches him in the shoulder at the move. "You're sexy when you're bossy."

She smirks at his comment, a little breathless at the way he's moving against her. His open smiles and light teasing are some of her favorite parts of morning sex. She'd woken up before her alarm and tried to fall back asleep, but it was so much more tempting to start the day with him in the most delicious of ways. A call from HPD had interrupted them to inform Steve about a case being forwarded as per the Governor's order. Thankfully, Steve ended the call quickly enough so it didn't ruin the mood, texting Chin and Danny to have them meet at headquarters soon.

He didn't have to tell her; she'd been tracing the ink of his tattoos impatiently the whole time he was on the phone. He saves a lot in outgoing texts now that she's moved in.

"If you like it when I'm bossy, then how come you never listen to me?"

"I don't know. Control issues or something."

Kono laughs, throwing her head back to expose the delicate line of her neck. He has no choice but to reach up and kiss her again when he spots those dimples and the flash of white teeth. Her eyes twinkle as she meets his, the last of her giggles fading as he smiles down at her. Sometimes he looks at her with such affection and satisfaction after he makes her laugh, as if she's the one giving him a gift instead.

"Right. At least you admit it."

"Only to you," Steve says and even though he's still joking, she smiles secretively at his words and folds them away in a corner of her heart she saves for the unknowingly perfect things he says before, during, or after sex.

There are other corners for all the unknowingly perfect things he says the rest of the time.

"Well, as long as you know you have a problem."

He shrugs at that as he rocks into her, his nose nuzzling her cheek as he drops a soft kiss near her temple. His hands run through her soft hair to push back strands from her face as he meets her eyes with a cocky smirk. "No problems. I'm fine with it."

"Steve." She moans as he teases her with roaming hands and short kisses, refusing to stay at her lips where she wants him to linger the most. He loves to make her beg, his eyes filling with pride at how easily he can make her give in. Her skin feels on fire everywhere his warm hands touch her, and his mouth leaves a trail of kisses up and down her throat, paying special attention to the curve of her breasts and the hollow of her neck. But he only leans down to kiss the corner of her mouth despite her tugging him closer, grinning at her efforts and the clear frustration in her tone. "Steve, stop it."

He stops immediately, lips fusing against hers so suddenly that she gasps in surprise; then she smiles because even after all this time, he still can't hold back how much he wants her, how quickly he gives in just as easily. His head drops to her shoulder, kissing the soft skin there that covers the hard bone underneath. There's something about her shoulders he loves; he's constantly paying attention to the curves of them with his lips, always smoothing a gentle hand over them when they're exposed.

"You listened," Kono murmurs, wrapping her hands around him tightly and pulling him closer, her heart racing and her breath catching, struggling to speak coherently as her body slowly succumbs to him.

"Only to you," he repeats.

Kono smiles and combs her fingers softly through his hair, tucking away those words in that special section of her heart again. He lifts his head to kiss her, fast and rushed as they cling to each other for every last possible second they can before leaving the house and joining the outside world.

* * *

"Where have you been? I called you four times this morning."

"And I called you back," Steve says, looking up from his desk as Danny enters his office, hands flying wildly as he questions his partner's late arrival.

"Well, you were very abrupt and all you said was that you were running late and leaving the house. HPD's sending us the details on the case," Danny informs him.

"I know that, Danny. I already talked to them this morning."

"You could talk to them, but not me, huh?" It shouldn't surprise Steve anymore how easily offended Danny can get, no matter how early it is in the morning, but he still rolls his eyes in amusement at the exaggerated hurt in his tone. "That's real nice. What were you doing for so long that you couldn't properly answer _one_ of my many calls?"

"Nothing," Steve answers too quickly, a small smile gracing his face as he thinks of the morning with Kono, a quick kiss that had turned into something more heated as she grabbed him and wouldn't let him leave.

"What do you mean _nothing?_ " Danny questions again, his eyes narrowing as he observes Steve's face in silence. "Oh, god, you were getting laid, weren't you?"

"No, no," Steve denies quickly but his lips quirk up again and the smile won't leave his face.

"Yes, yes, you were. Why would you tell me that? Don't admit it to me at least!"

"I didn't admit it, you guessed," Steve tells him as he goes back to searching for a folder on his desk. "And where's the file for the Peterson case? Max said I forgot to sign his report."

"You just admitted it right now!" Danny exclaims loudly. "Haven't you guys gotten past the wanting-to-have-sex-all-the-time stage? It's been months since she moved in and has to be with you all day and all night. She must find you repulsive by now."

"Apparently not," Steve says brightly. "Dammit, I could have sworn I left the folder here last night."

"Oh, I have it in my office. I had to print out my interrogation report again."

"You could have told me that five minutes ago," Steve grumbles as he stops looking for the file and goes back to checking his e-mail.

"Maybe I could have if you hadn't been bragging about how you got laid before work like some sixteen-year-old," Danny retorts.

"I wasn't bragging! I don't _brag_."

"Yeah, you just smirk that smirk of yours," Danny says with a glower.

"What smirk?" Steve asks innocently.

"That smirk that's gonna be on your face all morning and I have to put up with it-"

"Hey, what are we talkin' about?" Kono asks as she comes into the office, her eyes darting from Danny to Steve, her smile brightening by a fraction as she looks at Steve.

"His sex life," Danny answers.

Kono makes a face. "Why are you talking about my sex life?"

"I'm not talking about yours, I'm talking about _his_ ," Danny clarifies as he points toward Steve who's busy on the computer and only halfway following their line of conversation.

"Considering we're having the same sex, that means you're talking about me too, Danny," she tells him. "With that and you always calling at the most inopportune times, it's no wonder people make up stories about the three of us."

Danny makes a face. "Calling at the most inopportune times? Oh, excuse me, I'm sorry. It's not like I have a schedule for when your hormones kick in. I didn't know you were gettin' lucky before work-"

"I didn't tell him," Steve says to her quickly as if fearing her anger, but Kono only rolls her eyes at him. It's that stupid smirk on his face for hours afterward that gives him away to Danny each time. Chin at least manages to ignore the look.

"Hey, morning," Chin says as he steps into the office. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing," the three of them chirp in near unison.

"Perfect timing." Steve comes around his desk, flash drive in hand, and heads out of his office with the team following him to the control room. "HPD just sent the details of our new case."

Kono takes command of the computer as she pulls up the images, trying not to grimace at the sight of the young blonde woman with bruises surrounding her slender neck. The dark purple of them stand out on her pale, now lifeless, skin, the horror of her final moments captured on her face and visible to every person in the room.

"Strangulation marks?" Danny questions.

"Yeah," Steve echoes, his voice solemn and his face masked as he holds back emotion while surveying the photos with a trained eye. "It looks frantic, like they didn't mean for her to die."

"I agree," Chin adds. "Looks like they attempted CPR. Her body washed up early this morning, no purse or wallet. HPD IDed her as Kelly Lendola. Twenty-three, single, moved here from Chicago two years ago when she got into Hawaii Pacific. Her major's listed as Environmental Science, but it looks like she dropped out last year. Place of employment is listed as the Caveat Hotel bar."

"That's a nice place to work," Kono comments about the upscale hotel known for its affluent visitors and luxurious menu based on its location on the upper-class beach strip.

"Her family in Chicago is well off and are friends with the hotel owners," Steve explains. "They contacted the Governor for this to be handled with priority. He said the dad's flying in to speak to us tomorrow and take her body back home."

"Shitty way to visit the islands for the first time," Danny comments sadly.

"There's a roommate listed on her lease," Kono says, looking up at them with the new information. "Lahela Wims, twenty-four, and a nursing major at Hawaii Pacific. Probably knew each other from school."

"Okay, good. Chin, Kono, run everything you can first and visit the roommate. Find out what you can about the hotel staff too. Danny and I are gonna see what Max can tell us before we have to release the body to her father."

"Be nice to Max," Kono calls after them as they head for the glass doors. "He has a huge piano recital coming up and he's nervous."

"I'm always nice," Steve says, flashing her a charming smile on his way to the door.

"Then be _nicer,_ " she emphasizes.

"Whipped," Danny comments with a grin. "So whipped."

"Shut up, Danny, or I'll start grinning again," Steve mutters out of Chin's earshot.

* * *

 _to be continued ~_


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Look at Us Mend (This Doesn't Need to Be the End)

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

 **Author's Note:** Sorry for the delay in updating! It's a busy time of the year for me, but I promise to get myself on a routine and get updates out since the story is written. Thanks to those who commented - I understand people have probably lost interest in this couple, but it's nice to know a few of you are still interested. :) Just a short chapter now following up on last chapter's case. Longer updates to come!

* * *

"Hey, Kono, anything from the roommate?" Steve asks later that afternoon as he puts her on speaker in the car. "She have an alibi for last night's time of death Max gave us?"

"Yeah. She was at a nursing seminar at the college. We got the attendance sheet from the university, and they can verify she was there whole night."

"Damn," Steve mutters as he hits the steering wheel in frustration. It's never that easy, but they can always hope it will be.

"Well, sucks for us, but good for her that she's not being charged for murder," Danny comments from the passenger's seat.

"Right," Kono chuckles. "I got that. Also, I called the hotel and got information on the bar staff and this one guy is sorta creepy. His name's Antonio Malawai."

"Creepy how? Too many tattoos and likes armed conflict like Steve sort of creepy?" Danny suggests as Steve merely shakes his head at the comment.

"No, like two girls filed harassment charges in the last year because he was stalking them after a one night stand, that kind of creepy."

"Oh, a real Romeo."

"Exactly. Maybe Kelly slept with him? He wanted more and killed her? The reports say he was very insistent about how the girls were sending mixed signals and it wasn't his fault." The disgust is clear in her voice as she recalls her conversation with the officer at HPD who'd filed the reports.

"Well, he sounds like he'll spook easy so we'll have to be careful about how we approach him," Steve says. "Guys like that are such cowards when it comes to law enforcement."

"Maybe because they know _you_ work in law enforcement," Kono teases and Steve can hear her smiling over the line.

"That's sweet, thanks, babe," Steve says, his tone light with humor as he finds himself unconsciously pressing the accelerator, speeding up the car which is already traveling over the speed limit.

"Okay, stop," Danny declares loudly in frustration.

"What?" Kono asks, her voice echoing in the confined space and Steve turns to his partner for an explanation of his outburst.

"Don't do your stupid phone flirting. He's already started speeding in an effort to get to back to the office faster and then he'll speed home, all because he thinks that'll save him time before he can see your stupid face again."

"You're crazy," Steve tells him. "I don't do that, and I'm not speeding," he argues even as his eyes flicker to the speedometer and he inches his foot off the gas.

"How fast are you going?" Kono questions.

"Um, normal," Steve answers unconvincingly and she chuckles. "I don't do that."

"Yes, you do. I have been your partner for too long, and over the course of your relationship, certain fundamentals have been established, and one of them is that phone flirting revs up your Neanderthal hormones and is going to get me killed! Hang up, Kono," Danny orders. "Tell him not to kill me and hang up."

"Steve, if you kill Danny, I won't sleep with you again," Kono taunts before she hangs up.

He slowly eases his foot back on the gas as Danny suggests to him he should take Drivers' Ed alongside Grace next month.

* * *

"Hey. How'd it go with Max?" Kono asks, greeting him with a smile as he enters the kitchen a few hours later.

"Okay, I guess. Danny's gonna pick up the blood results tomorrow morning. What are you making?" he asks as he makes his way to her side at the stove, dropping a light kiss on her head as he towers over her, adding another inch in height difference when she's barefoot at home.

"Spaghetti. I can boil water at least so thought I'd have dinner ready since I got home first." She drains the water and peeks into the pot, smiling at her success. "See?"

"Good work." He washes his hands and grabs two plates and forks, following her to the table. "And the sauce?"

"That's what I buy in those nice, neat jars ready from the grocery store." She turns to him, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him softly. His hands automatically fall to her waist as he pulls her closer, kissing her again with more pressure, his lips firm as his tongue meets hers over and over again. They pull back for air and she smiles at him, her cheeks flushed and her lips red as he stares at her in silence.

It's been months since she moved in, almost a year since they took the chance and decided to be together, but it still takes him by surprise when he comes home to find someone waiting for him.

"Were you nice to Max?"

"I'm nice to everyone," he retorts.

"No, you're not."

"I'm nice to you," he says as he plants a wet kiss on the side of her neck, watching with fondness as she squirms in his arms.

"True. You are _very_ nice to me," she replies back as she kisses his cheek, her fingers smoothing over his light afternoon stubble. "Hopefully you're not that nice to everyone."

Steve makes a face at that and she laughs as she takes him by the hand and pushes him into the chair. "Come on, eat. You didn't have lunch either."

He smiles as he watches her heat up the spaghetti sauce, not even teasing her about it being store-bought and from a jar like most of her so-called "cooking" is.

Because she's right - he didn't have lunch and the truth is, no one's bothered to care about those details in his life until she came along. He's used to working all day and being on the go, maybe grabbing something when stopping for coffee. Remembering to eat an actual meal was never something of importance. But then she became a part of his life and cared about things like that. About the little things, like making sure he's eaten and taking care of his injuries on the job, of knowing where he is and that he'll make it home safe that night; those things hit him square in the chest as he stares at her in wonder.

"Hey," he says before he even takes a bite. "Thanks."

"Wait until you've tasted it," she warns from the seat next to him as she takes her first bite and chews with careful consideration. "Hmm, not bad if I do say so myself."

Steve smiles at her as he digs in. "It tastes great, Kono."

* * *

 _to be continued ~_


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** Look at Us Mend (This Doesn't Need to Be the End)

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

 **Author's Note:** Okay, this chapter got super long in the word count, I'm trying to organize it into more equal chapter lengths but I also don't want to cut off the pacing abruptly so it feels incomplete. Let me know what you prefer! :) Comments most welcome.

* * *

"Max says the victim was definitely dead before being thrown in the water. That was their method of disposal, and they had no idea that they were basically leaving the body on shore to be found in the morning," Danny says.

It's the next morning and they're gathered back at headquarters and sharing the details gathered from yesterday's preliminary research.

"A restricted airway is still our cause of death," Chin concludes as he looks up from the computer as Danny fills him and Kono in on the updated test results he picked up from the Max's lab.

"Exactly. There was a high concentration of benzodiazepine in her blood. The drug's used to treat anxiety or insomnia, but you guys didn't find anything in her medical history about that, did you?" Danny pauses and waits for Kono to answer.

"No, nothing like that. Her roommate was sure she wasn't using drugs though. No changes in recent behavior to suggest she'd picked up the habit," Kono recalls from her conversation with the victim's roommate yesterday.

"We never know, Kono. She did drop out of school suddenly," Chin points out.

"Yeah, but only because she didn't want to do it anymore. Her grades were fine, I checked with the registrar's office. I don't know, I just don't get the vibe that she was into that stuff."

"Hey, I gotta meet the dad, who's coming?" Steve asks as he emerges from his office. The three of them exchange wary glances at the thought of facing the grieving father. It was the worst part of the job, watching someone struggle with the overwhelming loss, and not being able to do anything but nod and sympathize. "Come on. Danno?"

"Do I have to?" Danny sighs. "I'm having a really good day, and it's not even noon yet."

"You guys, don't make me go down there alone," Steve pleads.

"I'll go," Kono offers as Chin and Danny shoot her thankful glances.

"Thanks, cuz, I owe you," Chin says with a grateful smile.

"Yup, me too, rookie," Danny calls after her.

"He flew in this morning, and he's staying at the Caveat too," Steve tells her as he holds the door open for her, his hand lingering on the small of her back as they step out into the bright Hawaiian sunshine.

"The same hotel she worked at?" Kono questions as they get into the car.

"Yeah. He's friends with the owners, remember?"

"Max said he found drugs in her system but I just don't see it, " Kono says as she watches Steve merge into traffic without so much as a care as to who's in the next lane.

"It's Max. He can't be wrong," Steve tells her as he thinks of the ME and his absolute meticulousness when it comes to his job.

"I know that, of course. I mean that I don't think she did drugs for fun. It doesn't fit."

"Some things don't fit, Kono," Steve reminds her. "We'll ask her dad."

"Yeah, cause she'd tell him about her drug use. Come on, did you tell your dad everything? Especially when you didn't live at home anymore?"

Steve remains silent like he does when the mention of his parents comes up, but Kono waits patiently for him to answer the question. She's learned over their time together that taking back the question or apologizing for it only makes him more uncomfortable. It's best to wait for him to decide what he wants to share with her, what memories he trusts her with.

"No," he admits with a small smile. "I guess that's what the teen years are for, right?"

"Exactly," she says with a smile. "I mean, I sure didn't write home to my parents about stuff on tour. Boys, parties, underage drinking..."

"No wonder Danny wants to keep Grace locked up," Steve comments as he shoots her a look at the way she fondly recalls her younger days.

"Which will only make her want to break out more. Why do you think I practiced surfing so much? I loved it, but it also helped me get away from my dad. He used to make me write book reports during the _summer,_ Steve," she recalls. "On summer vacation! And he graded them too!" He grins at the exasperation in her tone from something ages ago.

"Want to know something about me?" he questions as they pull into the hotel parking lot.

"Always," she answers, and he smiles at her enthusiasm.

"My mom did the same with me and Mary." Kono's eyes widen at his confession and he nods. "Well, she was an English teacher and she said no one ever read the classics anymore and she'd be ashamed if her kids hadn't either."

"So we were both suffering during our summers, huh?" Kono says with a smile as they leave the car and fall into step towards the hotel entrance, walking side by side, elbows occasionally brushing.

"Too bad we weren't suffering together," Steve murmurs as he looks at her, his eyes brightening as he makes her heart quicken in the middle of an ordinary workday.

"Yeah, right," Kono chuckles. "Like my dad or Chin would ever have let me date you."

"Why not?" he questions with a smirk.

"You would have been way too old for me," she teases and watches him scowl at the comment. "You still are."

"That's not funny, Kono."

* * *

"We are very sorry for your loss, Mr. Lendola," Steve says solemnly as he stares at the older man. He's tall and broad-shouldered, looks like he may have played football in college, but right now he looks weary and weak, his clothes wrinkled and his eyes red as he stares at Steve and Kono blankly, trying to follow their questions when he's really lost in a world of his own.

"Thank you," he manages to say. "Please, call me Cameron. I appreciate all you're doing so quickly. The Governor assured me your team is well-equipped and efficient under your leadership, Commander."

"We're trying the best we can, sir," Steve says simply, accepting the compliment silently but knowing now is not the time to acknowledge it. "We do have some questions though, if you wouldn't mind. Is there a reason Kelly decided to stay in Hawaii even after she stopped going to school? Didn't she mention wanting to come home?"

"No, no, she fell in love with Hawaii," Cameron says, his eyes drifting to the balcony of his hotel suite which displays the blue Hawaiian sky as a backdrop perfectly. There's a reason why the rooms in the Caveat hotel are so expensive, they provide the perfect vacation view. But for him, this is no vacation.

"We wanted her to come home but she'd gotten so close to her roommate, and joined a few environmental groups on campus. She was having trouble finding a job though, and she wouldn't take money from us. So we at least convinced her to work at the hotel. We've known the Spencers for years, I went to school with Robert. His son, Jackson, manages the locations in Hawaii and got her the job."

"Do you know if she was seeing anyone?" Kono asks gently, her voice low and calm as she addresses the man, as if he's a wounded animal. From the grief in his eyes, it seems like he is.

"No, she wasn't. I mean, I don't know for sure, but she never mentioned anyone. She spoke to her mom about those things, you know… girls," he says and Kono smiles slightly. "Her mom's back in Chicago, she couldn't make herself come with me..." His voice breaks again as he clears his throat quickly to control himself.

"I'm sorry," Kono says again. It seems that phrase is the most uttered in these conversations but it bears repeating over and over again, even if it sounds hollow by the end. "Also... I hate to ask this, but would you know if Kelly was on any medication, even recreationally?"

Cameron's eyes widen at the question, his posture stiffening in silent anger. "What? No, never! She wasn't- she wasn't that kind of a kid! Are you saying someone drugged her?"

"It is possible, sir," Steve answers slowly, not wanting to give the tortured father more painful information than was necessary.

"She never did drugs. I know that," he assures them and Steve and Kono can do nothing but nod.

There's a knock on the door and they turn as a younger man enters the room. He's dressed professionally in a pressed suit with a crisp tie, and looks at Steve and Kono curiously as he walks toward Mr. Lendola with an ease as if he owns the place and is very comfortable in the establishment.

"Cameron, sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to check on you," the man says, his eyes roaming over Kono, lingering at the badge and gun clipped at Kono's waist.

"Jackson, this is Commander McGarrett and Officer Kalakaua from Five-0." Cameron makes the introductions and they all nod at each other, turning to look back at Cameron when he continues to speak. "Jackson, do you know if Kelly was seeing anyone? Did she ever mention a boyfriend?"

Jackson shakes his head. "Not that I know of. I didn't see her too often, Cameron, I just got her the job. I feel very bad about that now, I'm sorry-"

"It's not your fault," Cameron assures the younger man as he puts a hand on his shoulder in comfort before turning back to Steve. "It's the fault of whoever did this. Do you have any suspects? Anyone in mind who would hurt my daughter?"

"We're still investigating, I assure you," Steve tells the man. "We'll keep you updated."

"I'm leaving tomorrow," he tells them. "You've- your team is done with the body by now, right?"

Steve nods. "Yes, our medical examiner finished last night. We made it a priority since the Governor informed me you'd be flying in."

"Thank you. I need to go back home, to my wife. You can call me with any updates, or let Jackson know. This... Hawaii's beautiful, don't get me wrong, but I don't want to be here. I don't ever want to come back."

"I understand, sir," Steve says quietly.

* * *

"How'd it go with the dad?" Danny asks when they return to the office, their hearts heavy and their faces tired even though it's only early afternoon.

"How do you think it went?" Kono mutters as she drops a wrapped sandwich on his desk. "Here's your lunch. You owe me eight bucks."

He ignores her comment about the tab as he gets to unwrapping his sandwich. "Right, dumb question. Sorry. Well, Chin and I did a thorough background search and it doesn't look like she was seeing anyone. Nothing on Facebook, no expenses that would fit the description. Unless he paid for everything, there's nothing on her end we can use."

"Yeah, her dad and boss said the same thing," Steve says as he takes a seat in Danny's office, blinking away the image of Mr. Lendola holding back tears as he said goodbye and thanked them for their dedicated service.

"I still feel like there's something about the bartender," Kono comments. "She'd been working there for six months and her roommate said she'd mention him when talking about work. Most of their night shifts overlapped so it's likely they talked. He could know something she was hiding from her parents."

Chin walks by Danny's closed office door then steps inside as he notices them all in the office. "Anything from the dad?"

"Nothing." Kono tosses him a sandwich and he flashes a smile of thanks. "He said she was a good girl, wasn't seeing anybody that he knew of, and didn't do drugs."

"Yeah, but every dad thinks their little girl is a good girl," Chin comments. "Even your dad."

"Cute," Kono says with a grin, flashing her dimples at his comment because they both know it's true. "Guess it's a good thing you only have boys then."

"How come she didn't tell Chin he owes her for lunch?" Danny asks Steve quietly, leaning closer to his partner so he's not overheard by the cousins he's talking about.

"I don't know, Danny. He's her family."

"And what am I, chopped liver? Shouldn't you be telling her to be nicer to me? It's been a year, don't you have any say in your relationship?"

"Why don't you take up with her?" Steve mutters. "It's only eight dollars."

"Why don't I just take it up with you?" Danny echoes back.

"So, undercover then?" Chin asks. Steve and Danny break off their conversation to look at the other man who only shakes his head in amusement and repeats what they missed. "Sending Kono in to talk to the bartender. She can get him alone and more comfortable, see what he knows. According to HPD, any time they try with this guy, he lawyers up."

"Well, that's no good," Danny declares in between bites of his lunch. "Damn Bill of Rights."

Chin cracks a smile at that.

"I'll check the bar schedule for when he's working," Chin says as he heads out of the office, "and we can set it up."

* * *

It's later that night when Kono thinks back to the conversation with Mr. Lendola. She's already in her sleepwear, curled up in bed and waiting for Steve to join her after his nightly check of the locks and doors. She remembers how Kelly's father had been so adamant about never returning to the same soil where he'd lost his beloved daughter. Despite the beauty of Hawaii, despite the beaches and flawless sunsets, the wildlife and sandy shores, to him, the mere mention of Hawaii would be the haunting reminder of the loved one he lost, a piece of his family he would never get back.

And Steve... Steve lost two pieces of his family here, and he still wakes up and goes to sleep in this house full of memories; he's brave enough to chase monsters away and keep the island safe for the rest of the people who call it home.

"Did you want to read some more?"

Kono shakes herself out of her thoughts, forces herself to swallow back tears as she stares at him standing in the doorway of their bedroom, his hand paused at the light switch as he waits for her answer.

"No." When she blinks again, the room is dark and Steve is at her side, his bare chest warm as she rests her head near the curve of his shoulder, his legs heavy as they slide over hers in a gesture of ease after months of falling asleep in each other's arms.

"Tired?" He brushes a gentle kiss to her temple and feels her nod into his chest, her hair soft as it falls against his skin. "You should sleep. Big day at work for you tomorrow, you get to flirt with the bartender."

He waits for her to reply with some teasing remark like _about time,_ or something naughty to make him smile, but she says nothing. He moves his head back slightly to look down at her, noting the way she's wrapped tight around him, her eyes closed and her face expressing lines of sadness he hadn't noticed earlier.

"Kono?" She swallows before she opens her eyes, her gaze solemn and brimming with an emotion he cannot name. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"What's wrong?" he repeats again, jostling her slightly in his arms as if to shake the answer out of her. "Are you okay?"

She nearly laughs at that, because that's exactly who Steve is. Someone's heart could be breaking for him and he's concerned over their pain threshold.

"I'm fine."

He puts a few inches between them as he looks her over from head to toe, as if he may have missed an injury when he climbed into bed. "What is it, babe?"

Kono doesn't answer him right away because she fulfills her desire to kiss him first. She scoots up on her pillow to align her lips to his, pressing so frantically that he stills in astonishment. Then his hands pull her closer, fingers running through her hair as she turns on her side so she's draped over him. Her lungs start to burn and she finally breaks the kiss, breathing heavily as she watches him open his eyes and blink through the lust and surprise.

"Kono..." His voice comes out low and rough around the edges as it caresses her in the dark.

"Do you hate Hawaii?" Her voice is quiet but she knows he hears her clearly in the silence of their bedroom.

His forehead wrinkles in confusion and he releases a chuckle at her question. "What are you talking about? We _live_ in Hawaii."

"I know that. But do you hate it?"

"I must have missed something, cause I don't get it."

If she says the words out loud, there's a good chance he'll shut down entirely. But there's no reason not to say them when they're wrapped in each other's arms in the darkness, the silence more comforting than it should be.

"Like how Mr. Lendola never wants to come back. You never wanted to come back either, did you?"

She was right. His face goes blank as he understands what she's trying to say, what she's struggling to ask, and he recalls the words of the man they met who was struggling with loss. Suddenly, he wants nothing more than to get up and leave - escape this conversation and this house, from Hawaii, if need be. Anywhere he can run to so he doesn't have to think about this.

But Steve looks into her eyes as she waits patiently for him to speak, her eyes shining with unshed tears and full of emotion, sadness and love, all for _him,_ and he decides to stay put because if he leaves this bed, she wouldn't be in his arms anymore and wherever she is, that's where he wants to be.

"No, I didn't," he admits, and a bolt of shame fills him at the confession. Suddenly, he feels like that same sixteen-year-old kid who couldn't hold back tears when the officers knocked on his door to deliver the news that his mother was dead, not the brave and fearless decorated Navy officer they say he is now.

"But my dad... I had to come home."

Kono nods and says nothing more, only rests her head back on her pillow, kissing his collarbone as she mumbles into his skin. "I'm so sorry."

Steve stays silent for a moment, absorbing every sensation of her against him, the rise and fall of her chest as it coincides with his own, the feel of her warm hands as she rubs soothing circles over his heart, as if the gesture can take away the pain she knows he still carries inside.

"It's okay. It's not so bad."

Kono looks back up at him. "Really?"

"It's different being back. Things are different this time," he says softly as he frames her face with gentle hands. He hopes his gesture will tell her everything he can't fit into words, hopes she knows him well enough by now to read his mind because the words he's thinking are so powerful that he stutters over them every time, stunned that he has someone to say them to, in awe that he has someone who will say them back.

She meets his gaze and smiles shyly as she understands what he's trying to tell her, what he's thinking and what he's feeling, and that just because the words are a little more difficult for him to say, it's not because he means them any less.

"Oh, yeah? What's different?" She raises an eyebrow at him playfully and he lets out a sigh of relief, grateful for the change in tone before he suffocated under the weight of his past.

"Well, the Ala Moana mall is huge now," he comments and watches her lips twitch as he continues innocently. "And the freeway finally has more than three lanes. Plus, there's free wi-fi everywhere."

"I think that's more of a global change, Steve, instead of unique to Hawaii," she tells him with a chuckle, tracing the lines of his tattoo idly as they converse.

"That's true, I guess." This time he flips her over so he's on top of her, resting his weight on his forearms as he kisses her quickly, her arms wrapping around his neck to hold him in place. "I'll think of something else then."

"Yeah, you do that," she says as he bends down to kiss her forehead, hiding his smile against her skin.

"Danny's here. He wasn't around before," Steve comments seriously and she nods, playing along simply so he'll keep smiling like he is, all dimples and laugh lines, making her stomach flutter and her heart race. "I remember Chin, but no Danny."

"You'd have remembered someone like Danny," she says wryly and Steve grins at that. "Do you realize how often we talk about Danny when we're having sex?"

"We're not having sex right now," he informs her and she rolls her eyes at him.

"We _could_ be if you'd stop screwing around and say the right thing," Kono mutters.

"You. You're here." The words tumble out of his mouth as if he can't restrain them any longer, like they're bursting to leave his chest and echo in the quiet of the room. He cradles her face in his hands like she's a treasure, and kisses her so fiercely that she moans at the contact. Her body hums as he nips her bottom lip, then soothes it with another kiss before lifting his head to look down at her.

She takes a deep breath to gain control of herself and shoves at his shoulders to push him away. "Nice try, but I'm not sleeping with you because you said Danny first."

"No, I didn't!" Steve smirks at her, not budging from on top of her, trapping her in place with his strong muscles and broad chest. "I said the mall first."

"You're not funny," she tells him as she tries to squirm away.

But it's useless to fight against his hold, and to be honest, she's not trying very hard to get away.

"Yes, I am. I'm hilarious," he says proudly as he kisses her again, his hands roaming down her sides as the brush of his fingertips against her bare skin makes her giggle. He smiles down at her, and does it again when she tries to break free of his hold. "See, you're laughing."

"No, I'm not," Kono argues, even as she is.

"Well, you don't have to sleep with me, but I still love you," he murmurs against her lips, his breath warm and hot as it hits her, his mouth trailing down the side of her neck as he nudges aside the strap of her tank top.

"More than the mall and the Internet?" she asks breathlessly as her hands slide down his back to the waistband of his shorts. "Answer wisely, Commander," she warns, though her body is already betraying her and falling apart at his ministrations.

He flashes a grin at her again as his hands trail down the skin of her stomach, parting her legs easily as he settles between them and looks down at her. "A lot more," he promises before he kisses her and she lets him take control like he needs to, his hands caressing her bare skin as his mouth follows close behind.

"Hey," Steve whispers later, and she tries to open her eyes and focus on what he's saying instead of the way he's making her feel a thousand different pleasurable sensations all at once. His blue eyes are intense as he looks into her brown ones, the arousal clear in them but the love even more apparent. "I can't hate being back if it got me you."

She says nothing; she simply falls in love with him all over again, nodding at his words as she blinks back the rush of tears, pulling him down for another kiss. She murmurs, "I love you" against his shoulder and feels him tremble at her words, holding him close as he falls apart. The words are his undoing more than he will ever admit; she holds him tighter as he collapses on top of her, pressing his face into the curve of her throat as the stubble of his jaw brushes her soft skin.

Later, he moves from on top of her and pulls her to his side as she had been originally, their legs entwining as she places a warm kiss just below his collarbone, curling into him with a sleepy sigh of content.

"Go to sleep, Kono." He runs his hand through her hair, not stopping until he hears the rhythmic sound of her breathing, until he's sure she's fast asleep, safe in his arms.

* * *

 _to be continued ~_


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** Look at Us Mend (This Doesn't Need to Be the End)

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

 **Author's Note:** Sorry about the choppy chapter length. Didn't want some chapters to be too long but didn't want to cut two "scenes" that fit together for the story. Thank you if you're commenting.

* * *

"Okay, so you do your thing and chat him up. We'll be in the car and Chin's covering the back exit where the hotel staff parks." Danny hands her the comm and watches her place it snugly in her ear. "The bar closes at two so you have about an hour to seal the deal."

"Yeah, I got it." Kono brushes her hair back as she studies herself in the rearview mirror. "Antonio, right?"

Danny nods. "He has tattoos so he should be right up your alley."

"Actually, none of the guys I've dated, well, present company excluded," she adds quickly as she glances at Steve in the front seat, "had tattoos."

"Shoulda stuck within your comfort zone then," Danny teases and she grins at him.

"Are you two done yet?" Steve snaps. "Cause Chin and I are ready to work here."

"Right. Sorry. I'm good." Kono takes a deep breath as she grabs her purse and nods at them. "Okay, I'll meet you back here later."

"Be careful," Steve says to her quietly and she nods, then leans to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. She gets out of the car and heads toward the entrance, trying to pull down the hem of her short dress while not stumbling in her heels.

"It isn't gonna get any longer, Kono," Danny's voice taunts in her ear.

"Shut up," she says as she hears Steve say the same thing to Danny over comms. She throws one last smile over her shoulder at them in the car before making her way through the lobby doors, down the plush, carpeted halls to the hotel bar.

The room is large and drafty, goosebumps erupting on her bare arms as she enters and takes it in. There are tables arranged, but at this time of night, the room is nearly empty except for a few couples finishing dinner, and a man at the corner of the bar watching the evening news. The crystal chandeliers sparkle in the low lighting, and the mahogany of the polished furniture gleams in obvious signs of the establishment's wealth and the standards of the people staying there.

She spies Antonio Malawai immediately. He's a tall guy with floppy blonde hair, dressed in black trousers and a white shirt like the rest of the hotel staff. He's leaning against the bar as he texts on his phone, his fingers tapping idly as he waits for a reply. She would have considered him cute back in her teen days when she was into those boys who looked like they knew where to find trouble and promised her a taste of it. Now, she marvels at how easy it is for her to spot he's up to something suspicious, what with his fidgeting posture and the furtive looks he throws around the room.

"Okay, I got him," Kono says quietly to the guys she knows are listening in through the equipment. She heads toward the bar, her heels clicking with assurance as she makes a beeline straight for the bartender they've targeted.

He looks up at her arrival and she catches the flash of male interest as he takes in her outfit, her short skirt highlighting tan legs, his eyes stopping at the teardrop necklace that rests just above the low neckline of the dress.

"Hi. What can I get you?" he asks, his voice low and eager as he greets her with a smile.

"Whiskey, straight up. Please," she adds with a dramatic sigh as she takes a seat in front of him, hoping he'll take the bait that she's a girl looking for a friendly shoulder to cry on at this time of night.

"Bad day?" he questions in that inviting way bartenders do to get customers to spill their secrets before they're even drunk. Pretending to be the kind of person who falls for that, Kono jumps at the opening line to reel him in.

"Bad night. I'm staying upstairs with my boyfriend and we were _supposed_ to have dinner together, and he bailed on me for his best friend. Can you believe him?" she exclaims, her hands flying in anger as she scrunches her face in clear confusion at said boyfriend's actions. "Now, I'm stuck alone in my hotel room on a Friday night."

"That sucks. What a loser," Antonio comments as he presents her the drink along with a monogrammed napkin of the hotel's crest.

She hears Chin muffle back a laugh.

"I know! He brings me along on these business trips just so he can have someone to sleep with, then he stands me up. It's not fair," she grumbles as she pretends to be fascinated by him behind the bar, taking a sip of the drink she's ordered for appearance's sake.

"You should dump him," he offers helpfully and it takes all of Kono's strength not to roll her eyes at his wise advice.

"You're right. I should! He and his friend should get together since they're so in love and leave me out of it!" She grins as she watches him lean closer to her from the other side of the counter. His eyes meet hers and she gazes back with fake interest, pretending she's the kind of person who'd have a fling with the bartender in the same hotel she's staying at with her boyfriend.

"So, come here often?" Antonio asks with a grin, and she smiles and giggles at the obvious line, as if charmed by it.

"Can't believe he used that line," Steve mumbles under his breath but his voice echoes clearly in her ear.

"Well, she fell for your crap, didn't she?" Danny says and Kono bites back a smile as she looks into Antonio's unfamiliar eyes.

"I fly in from Maui when he brings me along sometimes. I haven't seen you before though..."

"Tony," he says with a smile as he holds out his hand for her to shake.

"I'm Kono," she says with a giggle, letting her hand linger in his before pulling back. "Are you new? Usually there's some blonde girl who works nights. Kayla? Kelly? Something like that."

She watches him closely and he stills for a second, the smile freezing on his face as his eyes dart away from hers to a corner of the room. _Busted,_ Kono thinks, and takes another drink as she waits for him to answer.

"Oh, right, Kelly. She doesn't work here anymore," Tony lies as he turns away from her, and Kono shoves down her panic of losing him if she jumped too soon at the opportunity to get him to talk.

"Too bad. She was nice," Kono comments absentmindedly as if she couldn't care less. "So, what do you do?" Tony looks back at her with his eyebrows raised at the question. "I mean, you know, when you're not bartending here at one in the morning."

"Why? You wanna do something with me?" he flirts.

"Sure," Kono replies with an easy shrug. "I'm free all night."

He opens his mouth as if to consider her offer, but the jingle of his phone distracts him as he reaches for it. Kono watches as he reads a message, and quickly types something back, then moves to talk to another employee further down the bar. They exchange a few words and Tony nods, then moves back to where Kono's sitting to reach under the bar and grab his jacket.

"I gotta go," he says to her. "Bar's open until two though. Nice meeting you. Good luck with the idiot boyfriend."

 _Shit,_ Kono thinks. She can't have him leaving this early, especially when she didn't even get to ask him more about Kelly.

"Oh, you're leaving already?" she pouts as she watches him sign out at the register.

"Sorry, I have to be somewhere."

"Are you working tomorrow night?" He turns to stare at her question, smirking confidently as she boosts his ego with her obvious interest. "I mean, I'm just saying..."

"Yeah, I am," he answers with a nod. "What about your guy?"

"He'll probably go out with his friends again," Kono says with an eyeroll. "I'll just ditch him."

"Well, see you tomorrow then," Tony says with a wink and leans across the bar to kiss her. She blinks in surprise but it happens so quickly and it's over so fast before she can move. She watches him leave through the swinging doorway behind the bar and is left with nothing to do but take another sip of whiskey, trying to wash away the strange sensation of someone else's lips on hers other than Steve's.

"Well, that did not go well," she mutters as she pulls a bill out of her purse and leaves it on the bar before heading back out the lobby to the parking lot.

"It went okay," Chin tells her, his voice soothing in her ear as she walks toward Danny's car in the dark. Chin, ever the silver lining guy. "There was a definite pause at Kelly's name, so he knows something. I'm thinking either he did it, or he knows who did. If we're done here, I'm gonna head home then. Steve?"

"Yeah, we're done for tonight," Steve says over the mic, and Kono hears his voice say it in person as she slides into the car, and he greets her with a nod.

She pulls out her earbud and gives it to Danny, watching as as he puts away the equipment and Steve starts to drive in silence. He glares at her when their eyes meet in the rearview mirror and she tries to think of what she could have possibly done wrong, considering she only just got here. Then she remembers the _inattentive, loser boyfriend and his relationship with his best friend-_ story she fed Tony at the bar.

"Aw, come on, guys. Don't be mad. I was improvising!"

* * *

"Who knew you Navy men could be so sensitive?" Kono teases as they get ready for bed half an hour later.

Steve shakes his head at her, rolling his eyes as he puts away his weapon and badge, going to the dresser to shrug off his shirt and pull on a pair of shorts to sleep in. He tries not to eye her appreciatively as she slips out of her dress, but it's hard not to when all she's wearing are two scraps of fabric that pass as underwear. "I'm not sensitive. You can say whatever you want when you're undercover. It's a role you're playing."

"Exactly," she says with a smile, watching him fight back a yawn and take a seat on his side of the bed, looking over last minute things on his phone before bed. "It doesn't count. I would never leave you in a hotel room alone on a weekend away. We went away to the Hilton that one time for your birthday, and did I leave your side?"

Steve looks up from his phone to smile at her for a second, his eyes lighting up at the memory. "No, you didn't. That was fun."

"Yeah, cause we had sex like, all day and all night," Kono reminds him with a laugh, and Steve only smirks while still looking at his phone, not contradicting her the slightest bit. "But you wouldn't let me go to the hotel spa and get all pampered and get a massage, so I guess I had no choice but to stay at your side." He tosses her a glare and she amends her words apologetically. "Fine, fine, you didn't keep me hostage. I chose to stay."

"That's better."

"But fake complaints made about you while undercover in the heat of the moment should not be held against me!"

"Noted," Steve says simply, putting his phone down to watch her approach him, his eyes darkening at her undressed state.

She hasn't changed yet into her sleepwear, and from the look in her eyes, it's obvious she has one goal in mind for the rest of the night: seduction. From the way Steve's mouth goes dry and his tongue darts out to lick his lips, it seems like he's going to be an easy participant.

Kono comes closer, stepping between his legs as her arms wrap around his neck, fingers gently tunneling through his hair in that way he loves, but will never admit he does. "So, you're not mad?"

"Nope." Steve shakes his head, his hands brushing at the soft skin of her waist, watching the goosebumps begin to spread all over her, watches her hold back a shiver at the way the pads of his fingertips run up and down the ladder of her ribs. "I don't get mad over stupid shit."

"Okay. But too bad," she comments with a shrug. He shoots her a look of confusion, and she hurries to explain. "Cause, you know, if you were mad, I could make it up to you."

Steve grins at her offer, his hands tightening around her as he drags her closer, lifting his head up to meet hers. Their lips gently brush across each other, and he takes a breath to ask, "Oh, yeah? What would that entail?"

Kono lets her hands travel down his chest, and smiles to herself as his eyes widen at the touch. He swallows unconsciously in anticipation, his eyes darting to hers as she bends in close to kiss him again. "I'm sure I could think of something," she murmurs against his mouth, her lips as teasing as her hands are. They travel down the smooth muscles of his chest, the destination she's referring to made very clear.

Maybe it's the undercover operation that has her excited, or the dress that acted as a costume to raise her confidence and lower her inhibitions, or the whiskey just now hitting her system, but either way, Steve appreciates her seductive side and takes advantage of the opportunity to play along. "Actually, I am a little mad, now that I think about it."

She laughs against his mouth, and even his lips turn up in a smile as he hurries to kiss her again. His big hands travel through her waves of dark hair and travel down the smooth plane of her back. He fingers the strap of her bra, itching to snap the hook open and move it aside. But she's in charge so he merely returns his hands to her hair, drawing her closer so she's arching against him.

"So, you Navy guys get offended after all, huh?" Kono asks, smiling as she breaks the contact, only to trail a line of kisses across his collarbone, appreciating the way his body tenses in arousal, his hands clenching in her hair as he muffles a curse.

"Fuck, Kono," Steve groans, his voice low as it echoes in the quiet of the bedroom, the only other sound that of Kono placing kisses down his stomach. "Um, yeah. We're only human, right?"

"Never thought I'd hear you admit that," she murmurs with a laugh, eyes flashing in humor as she meets his gaze for a second. Pride shines through her soft smile at his state of arousal, the hum of it roaring in his veins as it gathers in his eyes, darkening them with desire until the only thing he's focused on is her. "Well, I'm very sorry. I'll try and make it up to you, Commander."

His hands seem to tighten by the fraction of a degree, and he nods at her words, his jaw clenching as he fights to maintain control. His entire body vibrates at the promise of her words and the way her hands begin a trail further down his body, fleeting and teasing touches but purposeful with every inch they travel. "Kono, babe-"

"Shh," she orders before she kisses him once more on the lips, bending her head to place kisses down the path her hands are taking. "Don't talk."

He listens to her command and stays absolutely silent, remains absolutely still.

* * *

 _to be continued ~_


End file.
